At a glance:
- Tarni White has commenced running two-and-a-half months on from her season-ending ACL injury.
- The 19-year-old has ruptured two ACLs in as many years, but hasn't let any setbacks slow her down.
- White has her sights set on making a return in Season 2021.
A Sunday morning run at Gosch’s Paddock wouldn’t seem like a major event in many people’s books.
But for Tarni White, that run marked a major milestone in her recovery from her second ACL injury.
It feels like a lifetime ago when the 19-year-old Saint was cruelly struck down with her second knee injury in as many years.
That heartbreaking game against Fremantle was just two-and-a-half months ago.
Fast-forward to present day, and the young Queenslander has taken leaps and bounds in her recovery.
“You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face,” White told saints.com.au.
“Getting back up and running after two-and-a-half months has been unreal, especially with how long it was before I started running last time I did my knee.”
It took White over four-and-a-half months to begin running after rupturing her right ACL in 2018, but two years later, has sliced that timeframe almost in half.
She hasn't been alone in her journey, completing running sessions with Olivia Vesely and Cat Phillips and receiving a mountain of support from the Saints.
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“It’s the little things that go a long way,” White said.
“A Facebook message, a Zoom call a text – Kate Shierlaw has been amazing with that – or anything like that, it all makes a difference.
“I’m pretty lucky to have all that support from everyone.”
White kept busy during the lockdown, spending time up in her home state, moving into her new place back in Victoria and picking up work with several Saints at StarTrack.
And while there are several other boxes to tick off as she gets back to full fitness, the end-goal is crystal clear.
Season 2021.
